


Stygian

by darkreader1108



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Dog!Percy, M/M, Percico - Freeform, pernico - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-30
Updated: 2016-08-01
Packaged: 2018-05-30 01:44:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6403600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkreader1108/pseuds/darkreader1108
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I don't own these characters. </p>
<p>To Nico's knowledge, Percy's dead. In actuality, he's closer than he thinks. </p>
<p>Shortly after his boyfriend dies, Nico finds a dog on the streets if New York and brings him home. </p>
<p>(This is a sad story but has a really happy ending)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The bright sunlight shone through the window, discoloring the walls making them more of a tan color than white. The warm, soft bed made it harder for Nico to get up. He felt Percy’s light breathing on the back of his neck and his arm weighing down his hips. Another reason Nico didn’t want to get out of bed. 

However, they did have plans to meet Jason, Piper, and Hazel at the park. To him, it wasn’t that good of a reason to get up, but he did have to pee. 

He slid out of bed to go relieve himself, then crawled back in to wake Percy up. “Percy,” he said, shaking his boyfriend’s shoulder. Percy groaned and rolled over, his bare back pointing to Nico. Percy didn’t like sleeping in a lot of clothes. Most of the time he would just sleep in his boxers. 

Nico sighed and left the bedroom for the kitchen. He already knew what to cook for breakfast, pancakes, eggs, and bacon. The bacon sizzled and the pancake batter bubbled around the sides on the pan. 

He heard Percy walk in the kitchen, the sound of Percy’s yawn made Nico yawn as well. “Can you flip that please?” Nico asked, he was too busy with the eggs to flip the pancake himself. Percy grabbed the spatula, “how did you sleep?” 

Nico shrugged, “fine. You?” He already knew Percy didn’t have any nightmares. Nico controlled the dreams he and Percy had to stop them from reliving the terrors of their past. “Good. For some reason, I dreamed of a pink whale hitting on me.” Nico smiled slightly, looking down at the skillet so Percy wouldn’t see.

They ate breakfast how they always did, sitting in front of the TV on the couch. Neither one of them were big on coffee, Percy had orange juice and Nico had milk. After breakfast, they took their dishes to the sink. “Your turn to clean them,” Nico said. Percy sighed and started on his plate. 

“Have you taken your pill yet?” Nico slumped his shoulders. Taking his iron pill wasn’t that big of a deal, he just didn’t think it was necessary. He took his pill and went to brush the syrup off his teeth. 

…

“Ready?” Percy asked, his arms coming around to rest on Nico’s waist from behind. “Yeah, we need to go or they’ll worry.” Nico put his black stygian iron sword in his sheath, he had to use the mist to hide it properly. One time, he was in a too big of a hurry and got stopped by a cop who wanted to know why he had a gun strapped to his waist. 

They walked out of the apartment and caught a cab down to the park. Their friends were already there, setting up a small picnic. “Hey, guys!” Jason greeted, Hazel gave Nico a hug. “I missed you. What have you guys been up to?” 

“Not much, but we did finally finish the extra bedroom,” Percy said. Their apartment came with two bedrooms, so they were going to fix the extra up as a guest room for whenever someone needed to stay over. “How’s Frank?” Nico asked. Frank wasn’t able to come since he and Reyna were busy with a special camp event coming up. 

“He’s great. He's going really good as praetor. I’m really proud of him,” Hazel said with a wide smile. Nico looked over at the small blanket with a basket. “What did you bring?”

“Some snacks,” Piper said. “I thought we might want something to eat while we’re here.” She pulled out a pack of Oreo cookies and a bag of grapes from camp. “It’s good to have a healthy choice too” Piper explained. Of course, they went with the cookies. 

Nico thought it was a nice day at the park. The sky only had a few clouds and the sun wasn’t baring down on them. It was also nice to see his sister again. They talked a lot through Iris Message, but it wasn’t the same as seeing her in person. 

Percy and Jason talked like they were brothers. Nico thought it was interesting how they connect with each other. He himself had finally accepted Jason’s friendship months after he offered it. When it became clear Percy returned his feelings, he, after composing himself, went to Jason to vent. That was over 3 years ago.

Nico looked at Percy, watching how his lips moved when he talked. His hair was still messy, and his green eyes looked brighter in the sunlight. 

But even though the day seemed perfect, Nico didn’t feel perfect. Something was bugging him, turning his insides into a whirlpool but never revealing the source of the problem. 

He looked all around the park, in the sky and on the ground, at every pedestrian in sight. Nico just didn’t feel right. He knew it was stupid to ignore a gut feeling, but he also knew he was often more paranoid than he needed to be. So he tried focusing on something else, which made him feel worse. 

“Are you okay?” Percy asked, finally noticing the look on Nico’s face. His anxiety had curled so badly in his stomach so fast, he knew they should leave. “No, let’s go-”

A loud roar interrupted Nico and made them all cover their ears. A 30ft long Drakon landed in the center of the park, flapping its large wings. 

Nico grabbed his sword, he heard Riptide being uncapped behind him. All five of them jumped into action. Killing a 30ft Drakon would be a challenge, but they’ve faced worse. Jason rose into the air, staying behind the Drakon’s head at all times. 

Nico tried his best to avoid the large wing as he stabbed the monster’s front leg. It wailed out and stomped its foot. Its tail swung around behind him, missing Hazel by an inch. 

Piper and Hazel worked together to bring down the back leg, the drakon bellowed and tried to kick them away. 

Nico quickly glanced at Percy, who made a jab at the left wing. Drakons were hard to kill, maybe that’s why Nico’s instinct was still screaming at him. 

He stabbed the leg again and swiftly moved out of the way. The drakon was getting weak, it wouldn’t take much to kill it with five demi-gods.

Jason dug his sword into the back of the monster, which made its tail flail around and another loud roar escape its mouth. 

With another whip of its tail, the sound of a tree trunk cracking echoed through Nico’s head. Instantly, a part of him died. Only one thing went through his mind, Percy Percy Percy.

His blood pounded in his ears, making it harder to hear the frantic voices of the other demi-gods. Percy’s soulless body laid in the grass a few yards away, right by the tree he was knocked into. Nico screamed and ran to his side. 

The Drakon shrieked before Jason jabbed his sword through its neck. It turned into dust as it fell to the ground. By then, they all knew what had happened.

Nico was full on crying now. He hadn’t cried in years, but the feeling of Percy’s soul passing over was one he wished he’d never had to feel.

He quickly wiped his eyes, his body shook with grief and pain. The others slowly walked around them, trying their best not to cry as well. 

Nico put his hands under Percy’s head, feeling his soft hair and letting the weight lean in his hands. A tear fell on Percy’s forehead, he didn’t wipe it off. 

Hazel bent down beside Nico. She didn’t say anything, neither of them did. They watched as Nico bent over and cried in Percy’s hair. 

“Nico?” Hazel said finally, speaking through the heavy lump in her throat that made her voice break. 

Nico didn’t respond. He kept his eyes shut to avoid looking at Percy’s face again. He didn’t want the image of Percy’s dead body on his mind. Dead. Percy was dead… 

Nico jolted up, “I have to go get him,” he said and sprinted towards the nearest shadow. Hazel pulled on his shirt, “Nico No! You can't!” 

“Why not! I can't let him die!” tears were still streaming down his cheeks. Jason grabbed his arm, “Nico, it doesn’t work that way. You can't just bring people back to life.” 

“I did it before!” Nico cried, he fell to his knees, “I want him back.” Piper rubbed his back gently, “I’m sorry Nico.” They were all crying, but still trying to comfort Nico. 

“We need to go to camp,” Jason said, clearing his throat the best he could. “I’ll take Nico with me,” Hazel said, slowly helping Nico stand up. “No! I don’t want to go!” he screamed. Hazel pulled him anyways, towards a shadow so they could go to Camp Jupiter. 

Nico looked back over at Percy before leaving. He saw Percy’s body laying motionless on the ground, then it dissolved into gold dust.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter

Nico was laying on the couch, his hand dangled a foot from the floor. His face held a blank expression, but his eyes shown nothing but sadness. Percy was gone. That was something he had to deal with. Going back to get him wasn’t an option, that was clear. 

Nico slept on the couch, (when he did sleep). He didn’t want to sleep on the bed, the bed he slept in with Percy. Sleeping in it without him felt wrong. Eating without him felt wrong too, so he didn’t eat. 

Nico lived on the couch. Because living life without Percy just didn’t feel right.

Hazel was worried about him. After a night at Camp Jupiter, Nico begged to come back to his apartment. Hazel stayed with him, not only to comfort him but to stop Nico from going to the underworld. 

She would force him to eat something, a cracker at least, but Nico would reject it. Sometimes, however, Nico would eat the cracker to calm his sister. 

It’s been three days. Three days of living like this. Three days of blank expressions, and three nights of tears. 

“Nico, do you want anything?” Hazel asked. Nico slowly moved his head to form a no. Hazel sighed, “okay.” 

Someone knocked on the door, Hazel got up to answer it. “Hey,” Jason said in a weak voice. Nico was not fazed by the visit. A lot of people had visited. Annabeth, Leo, Reyna, Frank, Percy’s parents. Jason visited every day, always bringing someone with him. This time, it was Piper. 

“How is he?” Nico heard Jason ask. Hazel spoke, “same. He doesn’t move, he doesn’t eat” she sighed, “I don’t even think he’s sleeping.” Then Nico heard Piper say, “poor Nico.” 

Nico didn’t care what they said. He didn’t care that they were talking about him like he was a mentally ill person. He didn’t want their sympathy, he just wanted them to care about Percy’s death as much as he did. 

Jason walked over to the couch, “what are you doing today Nico?” Nico shrugged, “watching TV.” Jason glanced at the television, “do you want me to turn it on?” Nico shook his head. 

Jason scratched the back of his neck, “I want to help you through this Nico.” Nico didn’t say anything. “So I got you a therapist.” 

Nico sprung up, “you what?!” The blank expression was gone now, replaced by rage. “I’m not crazy! Why would you think I need a therapist?” 

Jason knew Nico would react like that. He was prepared. “Nico, you are not eating or sleeping and all you do is stare off into space. It’s not because you're crazy, it’s because you need help coping with this.”

Nico squeezed his eyes shut, holding back tears the best he could. “No, I don’t. I’m not ready to get over it. It’s only been three days!” 

“Three days of slowing killing yourself! This is not the right way to grieve!” 

“And pretending it didn’t happen is better? You don’t seem to care at all!” 

Jason closed his eyes for a moment. The truth is, he did care. He cared a lot. He only tried to hold himself up around Nico for his sake. “I do care,” he said quietly, “but I’m worried about you. Please, just see her for one visit.” 

Nico swallowed the lump in his throat. “When?” 

“Tomorrow, 3:00. Dr. Campbell.” 

Nico wanted to yell, but sadness took over his anger. He was going to talk to some mortal about getting over the death of his boyfriend, that made him more depressed than angry. “Okay,” Nico said, “I’ll go.” 

“Do you want me to come with you?” Nico shook his head. He wanted to do it alone. He needed some alone time anyways. Being around people who threw a fit over him made him feel more irritated rather than comforted. 

Hazel walked over to where Nico was standing and gave him a hug. 

The next day, Nico did go. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Hazel asked as she watched Nico get his stuff to leave. “I’m sure. I’ll be better off going alone.” 

“You’re not going to try anything, are you?” She was referring to him trying to get in contact with Percy’s spirit. “No. I know it’s not a good thing to do. I learned my lesson.” He was mostly saying that to get Hazel off his back, but it wasn’t like he was planning to bring Percy back that day anyway. 

Nico left for his session. He didn’t do it because he wanted to. He didn’t do it needed to. He did it so everyone would leave him alone. He had already thought about running off, but he didn’t want to do that to Hazel. If something -anything- happened to her, he would never get over it.

The session didn’t help at all. It didn’t even matter to Nico. He waited in the waiting room for twenty minutes, then got called back to a small room down the hall. 

Dr. Campbell was a small woman. Her glasses sat on the end of her nose and her gray-streaked blonde hair fell around her shoulders. She was probably in her late 40s or early 50s. 

She droned on and on about how talking about it and coming to terms with it helped to heal. “A band-aid doesn’t fix the problem,” she said, “it’s only a temporary relief from a painful wound.”

When Nico left, he didn’t feel any better. In fact, he felt worse. Dr. Campbell got him thinking about Percy, something he’s been trying to avoid. 

The walk home was a slow mental torture. He passed buildings, cars, tons of people, but his surroundings never registered with him. 

In his mind, he and Percy were on their first date. Percy was telling him stories about how he found out he was a demigod and all the crazy stuff that happened when Nico wasn’t present. 

Then he was at Percy’s mom’s apartment, eating a sandwich and watching TV with Percy by his side, laughing together at the people who couldn’t sing. 

Then he was sitting on the couch, eating breakfast with Percy the morning they went to the park. He mentally relived those moments, feeling his instincts tear him apart, fighting the Drakon, hearing the crack of the tree before feeling Percy’s soul pass over. 

Nico broke down. 

Tears streamed down his face as the overwhelming feeling of sadness rocked his very being. 

Nico quickly ran into an ally, leaning his back against the side of a building. He slid down the wall and hid his face behind his arms and knees. For a long time, Nico let it out. He tried so hard not to cry in front of Hazel or the others, so he only cried at night, but that wasn’t enough.

Percy’s face kept popping in Nico’s mind, his smile, his laugh, the strides in his walk, his chest rising and falling at night… his body on the ground. 

Nico leaned his head back against the brick wall to breathe and wiped his cheeks. 

He heard a whine, a dogs whine come from his side. He looked over and saw a black dog the size of a full grown german shepherd. He looked like a german shepherd, with his pointy ears, medium-length fur, and long, strong legs. His eyes were green, bright green, and filled with concern.

Nico sniffled, he didn’t know what to do with a strange dog watching him. He was obviously a stray, he looked thirsty and weary. 

But Nico didn’t want to scare him off, in some way, he felt better with the dog there. 

The dog must have sensed this, because he stepped forward, right by Nico. Nico reached his hand out for the dog to get his sent. After a few sniffs, the dog nuzzled into Nico’s hand. Nico smiled slightly, the first time since the attack. 

The dog’s fur was softer than it looked, probably because it was dirty. The dog whined again and licked Nico’s hand. His tongue wasn’t as wet as it should have been. “Are you thirsty?” Nico asked quietly, he thought if he spoke too loud, he might cry again. 

The dog nodded, which was a bit odd, but Nico thought nothing of it. 

“Come on, you can come home with me.” Nico got up and the dog followed close behind him the whole walk home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter made the death worth it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter.

Nico held the door open for the dog to walk in. He followed him to the kitchen, strangely enough, the dog seemed to know where to go. “Hazel?” Nico called. He didn’t receive an answer. Hazel must have gone out with Piper and Jason while he was at his session. 

Nico grabbed a bowl from the cabinet and filled it with cool tap water. The dog started to drink before the bowl had fully touched the floor. Nico sat on the floor beside the bowl and watched the dog’s large tongue take in large amounts of water like it hadn’t had anything to drink in weeks.

The front door opened; Hazel, Piper, and Jason walked in. “Nico. We meant to be back by the time you got home.” Their eyes landed on the dog beside him. “Um… where did the dog come from?” 

“I found him on the street.” Nico looked down at the dog as he said, “I want to keep him.” The dog met his eyes, a warm, familiar feeling washed over him. 

“I didn’t know you wanted a dog,” Hazel said. She slowly walked over and crouched down in front of him. The dog didn’t act or look scared, he sniffed Hazel’s hands and walked into her arms. “He’s soft,” she said, petting his ears and face. 

“So you just, saw him on the street and brought him home?” Jason asked. Nico looked at him, “yeah.” He didn’t want to tell him about the crying. It would've made things worse. “And... you’re going to keep him.” 

“Is there a problem with that?” Nico's face took the shape of a frown. “No… Well, yes. There is a slight problem.” Nico raised his eyebrow, his fist clenched at his side. 

“Nico, isn’t it interesting that you bring home a stray dog with black fur and green eyes, just a few days after your boyfriend, who looks like that, d-” 

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” Nico shouted. The dog barked, Hazel tried to keep him silent. “Nico-“ 

“Don’t you fucking dare! Are you saying I’m not allowed to have a black dog just because Percy died?” Piper cut in, “Nico, he wasn’t saying that. He's just saying maybe you should hold off on getting a dog for now.”

“No! He isn't! He said I couldn’t have this dog just because he has black fur and his eyes just so happen to be green.” The dog barked again. 

“Look, I’m not saying you can't keep him. I’m just telling you to be aware of the fact that you could be using the dog as a replacement.” 

That sentence made Nico so mad, he actually started to cry. His emotions were already so high, there wasn’t much room for anger. 

The dog barked again and escaped from Hazel’s grasp. He trotted over to him and licked his hand. Nico took deep breaths, then opened his eyes. “I am not replacing him. The dog needs a home and I’m offering it. That’s it.” 

Jason felt bad about making Nico upset, “I’m sorry Nico.” Nico closed his eyes and shook his head, “forget it.” He looked down at the dog, “I bet you’re hungry.” The dog barked and wagged it’s tail.

Nico walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a piece of pizza from Hazel’s leftovers the night before, a hot dog, and some sandwich meat. Once the plate touched the floor, the hot dog was gone. 

Nico looked back at Jason, “it’s fine. He’s staying with me. And I can promise you, I’m still going to grieve over him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it was short, but I hope it was still good.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4

“He looks so much better,” Hazel said, rubbing the towel in the dog’s fur. Nico and Hazel had given the dog a bath, which went smoother than they thought it would. In fact, the dog seemed to have enjoyed the wash. 

“What do you want to name him?” Nico hadn’t thought of any names yet. “I don’t know. I’ll sleep on it.” Hazel turned to look at him, “so you are sleeping?” Nico frowned his eyebrows, “of course I am.” He lied.

The dog made a noise and walked over to him to put his paw on his knee. “He’s very smart,” Hazel said. Unlike Nico, she had been noticing everything the dog was doing. He knew where everything was in the apartment, he also seemed to know Nico was struggling with a sad situation. He comforted him any way he could, licking him, laying his head in his lap, nuzzling into his hand. Hazel thought it was adorable. 

It also brought some comfort to her. Nico seemed to like having the dog around, for instance, he wasn’t spending the whole day on the couch. She decided to try to get him to eat. “So, what do you want for dinner?” she asked. Nico didn’t look up, he was petting the dog on the couch. “I’m not hungry. Get what you want.”

Hazel sighed, “Nico-“ 

“I’m not hungry.” The dog made a low sound, not a growl, but a grumble. He jumped up, his front paws landing on Nico’s thighs and coming nose to nose with him. Nico’s eyes connected with the dog’s green ones. For a split second, the impossible slipped into his mind. But he quickly turned it down. 

He pushed the dog off him, “and feed the dog too.” 

…

“Hazel, seriously, I can take care of myself.” Hazel had gotten an Iris Message from Camp Jupiter. They were having a meeting and she needed to be there. She sat down beside her brother for a serious talk. “Okay, for me to leave, you have to promise you won't go to the underworld. Promise.” 

Nico sighed, “I know! I won't go to the underworld. I won't summon anything. I won't do anything to get in contact with him. Do we really have to go through this every day?” 

“Nico, I know you. You just can't bring anyone back. So promise me you will not do anything.”

Nico rolled his eyes, “I promise I won't do it.” Hazel didn’t feel satisfied, but then the dog moved beside her and nudged her hand. Something about the dog made her feel whole again, like everything will be okay. Everything was fixed in some way. 

“I love you, Nico. I’ll message you before bed.” She kissed Nico’s forehead and left. Once Nico heard the door close, he felt empty. He didn’t realize how much he really appreciated Hazel being there. 

The dog whined and jumped on the couch. Nico pet down his neck to his shoulder, “do you want to eat before bed?” The dog licked his lips before licking Nico’s cheek. “Come on, let's find something.” 

Nico gave the dog a chicken breast, which was again, leftovers from Hazel. The dog didn’t seem satisfied, though, he sat on the floor and glared up at Nico. “What?” 

The dog pushed his bowl with the chicken in it towards Nico. Nico frowned, “I’m not eating your chicken.” The dog looked disappointed, sad even. Nico suddenly felt bad, “I’ll get a sandwich.” 

Nico got a single piece of bread and smothered it with peanut butter, then folded it over. “See?” he waved it in front of the dog, “I’m eating.” He walked in the living room with his half sandwich, leaving the dog in the kitchen with his chicken. 

…

Nico stood in the doorframe of his bedroom. His eyes were fixed on the bed he hasn’t touched in almost a week. He just finished his message with Hazel, who was happy to find out Nico ate something. 

He didn’t want to sleep in the bed. It wasn’t his bed. It was Percy’s bed. They shared it, every night after they moved in together. Sleeping in it without him, knowing Percy will never get to again, seemed wrong. 

He wouldn’t even be thinking about sleeping it if it wasn’t for the dog. The dog led him to the bedroom as if he knew it was bedtime. Nico watched as the dog jumped on the bed and laid across it, waiting for him. “You wanna sleep in the bed?” Nico asked. The dog barked. 

Nico nodded, “sleep well.” He turned to walk out, but he heard a whine. Nico looked at the dog, his green eyes were sad and seemed to be urging him to stay. 

Nico couldn’t say no to those eyes. It was like… Nico started to cry. The dog’s ears flattened, he jumped off the bed to Nico. “I guess we can sleep in here. As long as you sleep with me.” 

The dog made a ‘poof’ sound and walked back to the bed with Nico following. Nico didn’t even think about it, he just crawled in under the sheets as the dog circled around on the mattress before finally laying beside Nico. 

Being in the bed made him tired, and he hadn’t exactly slept in days. He felt a tongue on his forehead before slipping into darkness. 

Percy laughed, “right, like that will ever happen.” Nico cracked a small smile, “it was just a dream I had. I know it sounds weird.” The date was going better than Nico originally expected. They were sharing stories, talking about weird experiences, and laughing about them. 

Nico remembered the thought he had right at that moment: maybe this could work. 

Then Nico was on the grass, Percy beside him smiling as he opened a bag of chips. “Nico,” he handed him a potato chip, “would you be my roommate?” 

Nico couldn’t help but smile, “sure.” Percy just asked him to buy an apartment with him, of course, Nico would say yes. 

Nico watches the memory in his mind, the talk, the smile, the kiss. But then he heard his own voice scream as the picture of Percy laying lifeless on the ground flashed through his vision. 

He opened his eyes, only to see an empty bed. That shook out the last bit of contentness he had left. The bed itself was caked in Percy’s natural scent, full of too many good dreams and happy memories. Tears stained the sheets as they fell from Nico’s cheeks. 

Suddenly, the dog came into view. He licked Nico’s face clean and nuzzled his nose in his hair. Nico dug his fingers into the soft, thick fur of the animal, his tears were decreasing. 

Nico didn’t realize he laid back down, the dog continued to lick Nico’s forehead and hair line. It felt so simlar to what Percy would do to get Nico to sleep, it calmed him. 

Before Nico knew it, he had fallen into a dreamless sleep with the dog curled beside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How is it? Still good?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Nico opened his eyes to the familiar bedroom and a large lump of black fur laying by him. Immediately, he tried to block out thoughts and memories he felt were sneaking in his mind. 

Once the dog noticed Nico was awake, his head raised and looked at him with a suspecting expression. Nico’s hand flopped on the back of the dog to pet him. He sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. 

“You need a name,” Nico said after a yawn. The dog’s ears twitched. “What would you like it to be?” The dog barked and licked Nico’s arm. 

Nico usually creates names for animals based on color and personality. The dog was black, and thoughtful… in a way. Muscular, pointy ears, medium-length fur, and his eyes were the perfect shade of green. Fluffy? Hercules? Dusty? Nico’s eyes fell on his sword by the bed. 

“What about Stygian?” The dog barked and got up to lick Nico’s face. Nico pulled his face away and grabbed the dog’s face with both hands. “Stygian it is.” Nico held Stygian’s face a few inches away from his. He examed his features, black wet nose, green eyes, black, soft fur, and his large mouth. 

“You probably need to be walked,” Nico said, hoping he didn’t already relieve himself on the floor. Nico got up to find a rope of some sorts. “We need to go to the pet store today. You don’t even have a collar.” Stygian barked like he was saying ‘I don’t need a collar, collars are for dogs.’ 

Nico found a long piece of rope and tied one end loosely around Stygian’s neck. Even though Stygian didn’t like the fact that he was on a rope, he seemed glad to finally be able to go. 

They returned to the apartment and Stygian ran to the kitchen. Nico opened the refrigerator, “see anything you like?” Stygian barked and jumped up to try to pull a cartoon of eggs off the self. Nico grabbed them, “I didn’t think dogs liked eggs,” he mumbled. 

He also fried a hot dog to go along with Stygian’s egg. Cooking breakfast for the dog was similar to cooking for Percy- in a way. He was so used to making the eggs the way Percy liked them, which he did out of routine. Nico stared down at the plate, realizing what he did. 

Nico set the plate on the floor and left for the couch, completely ignoring the egg he made for himself. Instead of eating, Stygian followed Nico into the living room and stopped in front of the couch. He barked, loudly, like he was making a point. 

Nico looked at him but didn’t show any interest. He was starting to think Jason was right, he wasn’t ready for a dog. Percy always wanted a dog that could live in the apartment, so having one after his death seemed wrong. 

Also, bringing a dog in (or anything for that matter) would be like officially starting a new chapter in his life without Percy, which was something Nico wanted to avoid at all costs. 

However, just thinking about getting rid of the dog made Nico feel sick and regretful. He couldn’t get rid of him, and he wasn’t going to. 

Nico looked over at Stygian again, who was looking back at him. 

No. Stygian wasn’t going anywhere. 

He barked again and jumped on the couch. “Did you eat?” Stygian huffed as to say ‘no, so what?’ Nico’s gaze traveled over to the counter where his egg sat on a plate. “Come on,” he said, “I’ll eat with you.” 

…

The pet store was a good ten blocks away from the apartment building, so it took a while to finally get there. 

“First,” Nico said as he got a cart, “let’s find you a good collar.” They walked over to the shelf that was filled with different colored and styled collars. “Which one do you like?” 

Stygian didn’t seem excited about wearing a collar. Nevertheless, he nudged a sapphire blue collar with his nose. Nico looked it over the leather, buckle fastened collar. “Okay, now a leash.” The leashes were located by the collars so Stygian only had to pull the closest one off the shelf with his teeth. 

Nico set the red leash in the cart along with the collar and moved on to the next aisle. It took them a while to go through the food. Stygian didn’t seem all that excited about dog food. Luckily, the store did allow pets to try samples so eventually, he found one he seemed to like. 

After the food, they picked out a food and water bowl, doggie bags (which was Stygian’s least favorite part) and a chew bone. When Nico walked up to the dog beds, Stygian started to pout. He looked so sad, that Nico put the bed back. Having Stygian sleep with him was no big deal.

It was a long walk home with all those bags, but they made it. Hazel was in the apartment waiting for them. “Hey, where have you been?” 

“I went to the pet store. Stygian needed some stuff.” Hazel nodded and pet Stygian’s ears. “So his name’s Stygian, I like it.” Nico started to unload the bags. 

“How did you sleep?” she asked cautiously. Nico filled the new water bowl up and replaced the glass bowl, “fine.”

Hazel stayed silent for a minute, then said- “well, I would like to talk about… it.” 

Nico froze, then continued to stock the cabinet with canned dog food. Hazel sighed, “Nico, it’s been a week.” 

“It’s been five days.” Nico didn’t want to talk about it. He wasn’t in the mood. 

“I’m just worried about you. You’ve been so out of it and I don’t want you to go back to how miserable you were before you and Percy got together.” Nico exhaled through his nose and looked at her, “look, I know you worry about me, but there’s no reason to. I don’t want you to feel bad for me when I’m not the one who died.” 

“Nico,” Hazel said quietly, “I miss him too. But I’m worried about you because I know you’re hurting. I want to help find peace with the situation.” 

Nico looked at his sister. She was sad and concerned. He felt bad snapping at her. Stygian came up and nuzzled her hand to sooth her, then looked at him with an expression he knew all too well. The make-it-better expression. Percy always gave it to him when he would step too far out of line. 

“How?” Nico asked. “How can I get over this?” Nico blinked back the tear he felt forming. Stygian walked over to him now. 

“Not get over it, but to start healing from it. I want you to eat and sleep at least.” Nico felt Stygian lick his fingers, but it didn’t calm him. 

“You mean, live life like he never existed? That’s ridiculous!” A tear leaked out over his bottom eyelid. “Nico, death happens. You know that. But you can see him again.” 

“You said I couldn’t contact him,” Nico said, trying to keep his voice from breaking. 

“You can’t bring him back to life. Remember what Hades said about that. But, contacting his spirit is a good idea.” Stygian barked in protest. Nico closed his eyes and shook his head. Tears were running down his cheeks. 

Stygian whined and placed his paw on Nico’s shoe. Nico opened his eyes again and looked at Hazel, “not right now.” Nico didn’t want to summon Percy’s spirit. Maybe because it was too soon or maybe the memory of Bianca snapping at him when he summoned her made him hesitant. 

Nico walked over to a kitchen chair and sat down with his face in his hands. Hazel wiped a tear from her cheek and came over beside him. “I’m sorry Nico,” she mumbled. She rubbed her hand on his back as Stygian licked away his tears as they seeped out between his fingers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this was two weeks late. I'll try not to let that happen again. To make it up, I'll post two chapters next week. 
> 
> Let me know how it's going :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 6

Nico opened the door to see Sally and Paul standing in the hallway. It had been two weeks since that day in the park and Sally wanted to come in and check on Nico.

Sally and Paul were both in terrible shape. Sally was still red-eyed and dazed, and Paul looked depressed, just like the first time they came over since his death.

"Hey, come in," Nico said awkwardly. He wasn't expecting them to come, and talking to parents after their son has died is never a fun thing to do. Nico looked over at Stygian, who was whimpering on the side at the sight of the two people he never met before. 

Nico knew dogs were sensitive to emotion, but the way Stygian was acting made him feel bad for the poor dog. It was like he was carrying all the sadness in the room on his shoulders alone.

Sally and Paul sat down on the couch with Nico and Stygian following them. Stygian sat in front of the couch, not taking his sad eyes off the visitors.

"So um, how are you doing, Nico?" Sally asked in a quiet and brittle voice. Nico cleared his throat, "Fine, I guess." Sally nodded and squeezed Paul's hand as a tear ran down her cheek. Stygian whimpered again and barked. "Stygian," Nico said warningly, but Stygian ignored him. 

"It's okay, Nico," Sally said. "When did you get a dog?" Stygian whined and tried to jump on the couch before Nico grabbed his collar. "A week ago. I found him on the streets and decided to give him a place to stay."

"Oh, that's nice." Sally seemed to be sleepwalking. She wasn't fully in the conversation. Nico knew how painful the death of Percy was for him, he couldn't imagine how bad it must have been to lose a child. 

Stygian became restless. Nico was aware he just wanted to comfort them, after all, that was what he was doing for him ever since he brought him home. However, he wasn't going to allow Stygian to jump on them.

Sally sniffed, "I just miss him so much." She started to cry into Paul's shoulder. He ran his fingers through her hair and held her tight against him. Nico tried to hold back his tears, it was so sad to see her cry like that.

Stygian had enough, however. He broke loose and jumped on Sally's lap, barking and licking her face. "Stygian!" Nico yelled. Sally turned back to the dog and pet his ears, "It's okay Nico. He's just being caring."

Stygian whined and licked her again, causing Sally to look at him. The moment she connected eyes with the dog, she froze. A gasp fell from between her lips and she pulled the dog into a tight hug by the neck. "Oh Percy!" she said with fresh tears in her eyes. Stygian wagged his tail and licked her neck and ear.

Nico frowned, partly confused and partly horrified that she would call his dog Percy. Paul had a sad look on his face, "Honey, that's not Percy." Stygian barked. "Of course he is! I know my own son Paul. Look at him." The dog barked again and jumped back to the floor to look at Paul. He only glanced at Stygian before turning back to Sally. 

"Honey, please-" Stygian jumped on him, knocking him back off his feet and onto the couch. He barked several times, it was amazing no one complained about the noise. 

Paul gently pushed the dog off his chest. "Okay, so what if he is Percy," he said carefully, "how would he be a dog?"

Sally looked over at Nico with the same question. 

Nico was paralyzed. He didn't know what to say or what to think. Percy wasn't a dog... no.

Sally held Stygian in a tight hug, "Oh, Percy! I thought I lost you!" Nico furrowed his eyebrows, "he's not Percy." Stygian slipped out of Sally's arms and moved to Nico. Nico didn't move as the dog licked his cheek. "He's not Percy," Nico repeated quietly.

Sally gave him a sad look like he was the one who got it wrong. "Look at him, Nico," she said softly, "it's him." Nico looked at the dog, but his eyes didn't focus.

Stygian whimpered and nudged Nico's cheek. Nico actually did look into the eyes of the animal and couldn't believe it. For the first time, Nico could actually see what everyone was talking about. The dog did look like Percy, with soft black fur and the same sea-green eyes. The dog was Percy, Nico wasn't denying it anymore. 

He burst into tears as Percy jumped on the couch to lick his face. Nico hugged him and cried in his fur. "Who did this to you?"

Percy barked, he seemed to know what had happened, he just wasn't able to talk. Sally scooted closer for another hug, "we need to find out. I want my baby back." Percy licked her, making her smile. "I'll find out, I have to," Nico said.

Nico wasn't sure how, though. He didn't know if it was something an enemy had done or a god. Or maybe someone did it as some sick joke. But he planned to look into it after Percy's parents left.

"So, should you call Chiron? Maybe he knows what to do, or have some way to translate what Percy is saying." Percy barked, Nico placed a hand on his back to make him stop. The last thing they needed was for the manager to come in and kick the dog out, "not so loud." Percy grumbled.

"I'll contact him tomorrow. He wouldn't be able to get here today anyway." It was already pretty late. Nico saw no point in asking for help if he couldn't get it. 

Paul and Sally stayed around and loved on Percy for a little while longer. Nico could tell they were glad to have their son back, well, sort of. A dog anyway. 

Paul looked at his watch and realized it was after ten. "We'll be back, but please try to find out how to get him human again." Nico nodded, "I will. I promise."

They left and Nico turned back to Percy. They stared at each other for a minute, then Percy whined. "Are you really Percy?" Nico asked with a brittle voice. Percy nodded and barked as if it could prove his point. "Prove it," Nico said quietly. He wanted proof, but at the same time, he wasn't ready to find out the truth.

The dog ran out of the living room to the bedroom and came back a moment later with something in his mouth. Nico frowned and took it. It was his pill bottle, his iron pills that Percy wanted him to take.

A month before the attack, they went to the doctor for Nico's check up and found out Nico's iron levels were low. So, Percy went to the store and got Nico a bottle of iron pills. Nico didn't like taking them, but Percy made him every morning anyway. 

Nico took a deep breath, he hadn't taken one since Percy's death, so there was no way the dog would've known where they were. Nico set the bottle on the coffee table and looked at the dog again.

"So, you are Percy." Percy barked and jumped on the couch beside him. Nico pulled him into a hug. "I can't believe you were here the whole time." Percy nuzzled into his neck, he had been there the whole time. He was sleeping on their bed, eating with him, living their day to day lives together in the same apartment and Nico never knew it.

"Is there a way for you to turn back into a human?" Nico asked. Percy nodded. Nico felt hope again. He might be able to finally get Percy back. "Do you remember how this happened?" Percy nodded again and started barking. "Percy, the neighbors." Percy glared in annoyance,   
but Nico was only making sure nobody would complain.

"Okay, so you know what happened, and there's a way to change you back. I'll have to get help with this." Percy nudged him again with a look. He barked, quieter this time, and looked over in the kitchen. "Are you hungry?" Percy nodded.

"How can you be hungry right now, I fed you earlier-" Nico's eyes widened, "I've been giving you dog food." Percy blew air out of his nose like "yeah, so feed me now or I'll bite you."

Nico made him a sandwich and two hot dogs (without the buns) and put them on a real plate in the living room. Percy seemed so happy to finally get real food that he didn't have to beg for, it was gone before Nico could blink.

"Better?" Nico asked once he was done. He felt so bad about giving him dog food. "I'm so sorry, Percy." He got down on his knees in front of him to give him another hug.

Percy followed Nico to the couch and jumped up beside him. Nico curled his body with the dog and they laid together. Nico couldn't believe Stygian was Percy, this whole time...

Percy licked his face a few times, then settled under Nico's arm before falling asleep. Nico slept too, more soundly than ever now that he had his boyfriend back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, feedback on this one would be fantastic. Thank you.


	7. Question

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please read, it's about the ending.

I doubt a lot of people will see this, much less respond to it, but to those of you who are waiting for the next chapter, I have a question:

Do you want the ending? I've been working on Chapter 7 and I'm so frustrated with it. It has so many plot holes and stupid problems. I just don't know what to do with the story. 

I mean, I can give you the chapter, but it will be so bad and stupid the whole story will be ruined. I guess it depends on you, do you want chapter 7? I can give you chapter 8 and be done with it because you won't be missing much. The 8th and final chapter has been written and it's a good ending in my opinion. 

I'm stumped. You guys are the readers so it's up to you. My outline had a big flaw in it that I would have to rewrite the whole story to fix, and I wouldn't know where to take the story if I did. (I've learned from the mistake, my future stories will be better.)  
I know some of you really want the ending, so you tell me if you want a crappy chapter and then the ending or just the ending. 

Thanks for reading this and please respond, it'll help me give you the end of this story.


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 7

Nico felt something licking his face and sat up on the couch to see Stygian. No, Percy. The memories of the night before flooded back to him. 

Percy was a dog. 

Stygian was Percy. 

Yes, Percy was a dog, a dog that needed to go to the bathroom. 

Percy whimpered and grabbed his leash with his teeth. Nico could only imagine how stupid Percy must feel by being walked on a leash and peeing in front of Manhatten, especially in front of him. 

Nico slipped his shoes on and hooked Percy up on his leash. "Let's go." Percy barked and rushed out the door with Nico in tow. 

When they came back, Nico quickly made breakfast with his mind full of running thoughts. He needed help from someone, someone who wouldn’t think he was crazy and could figure out what Percy was saying. Chiron, of course, was the first to come to mind, hoping he would believe him enough to look into it. 

Nico filled Percy’s plate with food and set it down for him right before someone knocked on the door. Percy sniffed the air then started to eat. Nico took that as a sign of someone they knew. 

Jason was standing there, alone this time, which surprised Nico a little. Jason always brought someone with him whenever he came over to check on him. 

“You’re early,” Nico said. Jason frowned, “it’s the afternoon.” 

Nico was taking aback by that. He didn’t remember going to sleep late. Nico shrugged and moved out of Jason’s way into the apartment. Percy looked up at him and barked a greeting before finishing off his breakfast. 

“You’re feeding him human food?” Jason asked. “Isn’t that bad for their stomach or something?” 

Nico looked at Percy, who was looking at Jason with what he guessed was a frown. Human food is better than dog food. 

Nico then was reminded of his situation. Percy was a dog and didn’t know if there was a way to get him human again. It frustrated Nico to the point of tears, which frustrated him more. He didn’t want to cry anymore, he was sick of the crying. 

“Are you okay Nico?” Jason said suddenly. Nico looked from the floor to Jason, then to Percy. 

“Um, yeah. Can I tell you something without you thinking I’m crazy?” 

Jason frowned, “why would I think you’re crazy?” 

Percy trotted over to Nico’s side and pushed his nose into Nico’s palm to go on. 

Nico looked at Percy and Jason’s eyes followed his gaze, “this is Percy.” 

Jason looked up at Nico, then his face became blank. Nico sucked in a breath, “I’m serious. I don’t know what happened but he is a dog now and I need help getting him back.”

Percy whined and licked Nico’s hand as if that would reassure him. 

Jason sighed, “Nico… please. Don’t make this hard.”

Nico set his jaw and glared at Jason. “What? You think I’m making this up? That I’m crazy? Do you honestly think I would do something like that?” 

Percy growled at Jason and hit his leg with his paw. Jason looked surprised, he’d never been hit by a dog before. Nico would’ve laughed at it if he wasn’t so angry. 

“Nico. I don’t think you’re crazy. Nor do I think you would make up something like this. But I hope you understand that I do need proof before I believe that Percy has come back to life as a dog.”

Nico unclenched his jaw. It made sense, of course, he needed proof. 

Percy suddenly moved from his side and into the bedroom. Nico and Jason followed him, Nico just as curious to see what the dog will do as Jason. 

Percy stopped at the nightstand and grabbed the handle with his teeth. The drawer crashed to the floor along all the contents and Nico thanked his lucky stars he moved the bottle of lubricant to the other drawer a few weeks before. 

Percy gently grabbed Riptide with his teeth and sat in front of Jason. 

Nico felt his lungs deflate quicker than usual. Percy always put the pen in the drawer when he wasn’t wearing pants, so when Chiron gave it to him, Nico just put it back. 

Jason knelt and looked at Percy. Percy put the pen on the floor between them and raised his paw on Jason’s arm. His paw just slid back to the floor, but it was enough to make Jason smile. 

He wrapped his arms around Percy’s smaller body and squeezed until Percy whimpered. “Sorry,” Jason said and pulled back. His smile disappeared. “Why did this happen?” 

“I don’t know. That’s what I’m trying to figure out.” Nico ran a hand through his hair to stop himself from shaking. “We need someone who can translate what he’s saying. Maybe Percy knows exactly what’s going on.” 

There were only a few people they knew who could talk to animals. Grover, Coach Hedge, and possibly Frank. But Grover was off doing some nature stuff in Montana, and Coach Hedge was on a family vacation. So their best bet was to get Frank over as soon as possible. 

“Frank maybe? We could send an Iris Message and see if he could come over.” Nico wondered if that would be their best option. They needed a way to talk to Percy to know what he knows. 

“I’ll go message him,” Jason said and got up to the bathroom. Percy and Nico had made a system with the shower and a flashlight for Iris Messaging. 

Nico sighed and pet Percy down the back of his neck. He picked up the drawer and put all the spilled items back before Jason returned. 

“I don’t think he fully believes me, but he said he would come over early tomorrow morning.” 

“He can't come over today?” Nico asked, getting impatient. “Nico, he’s in California. He’s also busy dealing with all the new campers coming in. Reyna said she could handle it for a few days but he would still need to get across the country.” 

Nico sighed/groaned and looked at Percy. Unlike Nico, Percy didn’t seem stressed out. Sad, sure. Who wouldn’t be if they were turned into a dog and had to watch all the people they cared about mourn their death? But it puzzled Nico to see Percy so calm. 

“Fine,” Nico said through gritted teeth. “I’ll wait until tomorrow.” 

Jason smiled sympathetically at Nico, then sat down on the floor by Percy. 

They talked for a while, figuring out what they could do and how it had been Percy to whole time since the therapist meeting. 

Then Piper showed up. “Jason,” she said over the Iris Message. Jason turned to her, “hey what’s up?” 

“I thought you’d be back by now. It’s almost time for dinner.” Jason looked surprised for a moment. “Oh, okay I’m coming,” Piper smiled and greeted Nico before ending the Message. 

“Um, I guess I got to go. But I'll tell Chiron tonight. I’m coming over first thing in the morning and bringing him with me.” Nico nodded and watched Jason leave.

Percy whimpered and nudged Nico’s jaw. Nico hugged his arms around his neck and buried his face into his fur. Percy shifted like he was uncomfortable. “What’s wrong?” Percy barked and jumped up to grab his leash. 

….

Nico laid in bed with Percy lying beside him. Percy seemed to already be falling asleep, but Nico just laid there. On one hand, Nico was glad to have Percy in his arms again, on the other; he wanted Percy as Percy, not a dog. He wanted to hear his voice and feel his skin. He missed his sense of humor and kisses, he really wanted Percy back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally done. I'm sorry it's choppy and bad but the next and final chapter should be better.


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter.

Nico rolled over in his sleep as the morning sun blared in his eyes. He slowly opened them as the events of yesterday flowed back to his mind. Jason was supposed to come over soon, and he’s bringing Chiron. 

He rolled over on his back to stare at the ceiling, waiting for Percy to come up and lick his face like he always did. But instead, he heard snoring beside him, soft, but louder than what you would expect from a dog. 

He turned his head and jolted up from the sight of Percy, human Percy lying naked beside him. “Percy!” he shouted and wrapped his arms around him. Percy groaned and rubbed his eye over Nico. Once Percy realized he had a human hand, his eyes widened and he looked down at Nico on his chest. “Nico!” 

Nico actually did have tears in his eyes. Percy’s voice, his warmth, his soft lips on his, it was all back. He had his boyfriend back. 

“What happened to you?” Nico asked as he wiped his eyes. Percy sat up and wrapped his arms around Nico as he thought back to what happened before he was a dog. 

“Your dad,” he said into Nico’s shoulder. Nico pulled away to look at him. If his dad did anything to Percy to harm him… 

“When I died, he changed me into a dog, as a joke I guess.” Nico frowned, Hades wouldn’t have done that. “What happened exactly?” 

Percy told Nico the whole story after his death, 

Percy was led by two furies to Hades's throne room. After waiting for a long while, he was glad to finally be moved out of that line. 

Hades was waiting for him with a conflicted look on his face. Percy was guided in front of him, then the furies left. Percy was about to say something, but hades beat him to it. “I don’t know if I really want to do this, it goes against everything I stand for.” 

Percy frowned up at him in confusion, “huh?” Hades turned to human size, right in front of Percy, giving him a cold glare. Percy decided he wouldn’t say anything else until he was asked a question. 

The god sighed, “My son is distraught, I don’t know why, but your death has completely wrecked him.” Percy felt bad, thinking of how sad Nico must’ve been, it made him wish more than ever to be with him. 

Hades muttered under his breath, he was mad, really mad. “Here’s the deal, Jackson, I’m doing this for him, not for you, not for Poseidon, but because I kinda owe him. And if I don’t it, he will soon enough.” Percy was still confused on what the heck Hades was talking about. 

The god smiled, “however, this doesn’t mean I can’t have some fun with this.” Percy really didn’t like the look on Hades’s face. “Um, could you enlighten me a little?” 

“I’m going to give you your life back, but, with a twist.” Hades snapped his fingers. Percy felt his body changing, tingling, and taking a new shape. It was over as soon as it started, Percy was on all fours as a large dog with black fur. 

Hades smiled down at him, “now, I will send you to New York, Nico will find you soon enough.” Percy tried to say something, but it came out as a weak bark. 

“Shut up, you’ll be human again, once I feel satisfied. However, you need to promise you won't send Nico down here, I don’t want to deal with him.” Percy barked, he tried to protest, but it never came out as words. 

Hades snapped his fingers again and Percy was on the streets of New York, right in the middle of a crowd of people on the sidewalk.

“I was on the streets for a few days, some people were willing to leave me some food on their doorstep. I was so relieved to find you, Nico.” 

Nico wrapped his arms around Percy’s neck, he still smelled like dog, but Nico was just glad to have him back. 

…

They messaged everyone, Chiron, Percy’s mom and Paul, Jason, Grover, Annabeth, Hazel, Camp Jupiter; in just a few hours, their apartment was full of their friends and family. Everyone wanted to hear the story, so Percy told it about one hundred times. No matter how many times Nico heard it, he still couldn’t believe his father did that for him. 

The emotional get-together soon turned into a party of sorts. Leo called it a “welcome back Percy” party. 

Nico stayed with Percy the whole time as he walked around the room talking to Tyson, Annabeth, Jason, and so many others. Percy had his arm around Nico the whole time too, except when he gave someone a hug. 

After an hour of talking to everybody, Nico pulled Percy aside into the kitchen. “I didn’t know I was so badly missed,” Percy said with a half smile. He pulled Nico in for another tight hug. Watching Nico struggle with him dying was easily the hardest thing he ever had to watch.   
“Can you please never die again?” Nico asked. It was a stupid thing to say, and he felt like an idiot after saying it. But Percy said, “I’ll try not to.” 

They were silent for a minute, then Percy whispered, “it was so hard to see you like that Nico.” 

“You think it was easier for me?” Nico asked. Percy shook him head, his green eyes looked as if he was thinking back on the memories. 

“But you’re alive. Let’s not focus on the past anymore.”

Percy nodded, “I love you, Nico.” Nico blinked away the burning in his eyes, “I love you too.” 

Percy had to hold back a few tears as well. “Hey, at least you don’t have to walk me anymore.” Nico laughed as Percy pulled him in for a long kiss. 

The end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if it was cheesy, but I hope you still liked it. How was the story as a whole? 
> 
> Thanks for reading :)

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me how it was! Chapter 2 will be up soon.


End file.
